Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with Multiple Sclerosis who are in the Employment and Support Allowance (a) Support Group and (b) Work-Related Activity Group.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In May 2022, there were around 21,800 people on ESA whose main condition was multiple sclerosis. Of these, around 400 were in the Work-Related Activity Group and around 20,000 were in the Support Group, with the remainder being in the assessment phase or receiving National Insurance credits only, and not assigned to a particular group.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Multiple Sclerosis are in receipt of (a) income-related Employment and Support Allowance and (b) new-style contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In May 2022, there were around 21,800 people on ESA whose main condition was multiple sclerosis. Of these, around 4,000 were in receipt of Income-Related ESA and around 12,000 were in receipt of Contributory (New-Style) ESA, with a further 4,300 in receipt of both Income-Related and Contributory ESA. There were also around 1,500 who were only receiving National Insurance Credits.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he made of the potential merits of including multiple sclerosis within the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Cancers, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions are the six conditions that contribute the most to mortality and morbidity.
Focusing on the conditions that contribute most to mortality and morbidity will allow us to focus our efforts on the key actions needed to achieve our manifesto commitment of gaining five extra years of Healthy Life Expectancy by 2035. The insights we generate through the strategy will have applications beyond those conditions which are expressly included in the scope.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people with Multiple Sclerosis have obtained a Disabled Person’s Railcard.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.
With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people living with Multiple Sclerosis have obtained a Disabled Person’s Railcard in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.
With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard to all people in the UK living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.
With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of applicants for a Disabled Person’s Railcard had Multiple Sclerosis in each year since 2018.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.
With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people applied for a Disabled Person’s Railcard in each year since 2018.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Railcards are administered by the Rail Delivery Group. Details of an individual's qualifying disability or progressive medical condition are not recorded centrally for Disabled Persons Railcard holders or applicants. Therefore, information on how many people with Multiple Sclerosis applied for, or obtained, a Disabled Person’s Railcard, or any information as to the proportion of applicants who have Multiple Sclerosis, is not available.
With regards to promoting the availability of the Disabled Persons Railcard, as per our Inclusive transport strategy commitment, the Department alongside the Rail Delivery Group and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee is currently undertaking a review of the Disabled Persons Railcard. The review is considering the eligibility criteria and also the options to verify entitlement. We expect to complete this review in the first part of 2023.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to Fampridine for people with multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Will Quince
There have been no specific discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether medicines represent a clinical and cost-effective use of resources. NICE was unable to recommend fampridine in its clinical guideline on managing multiple sclerosis which was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2022.
Asked by: Aaron Bell (Conservative - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of support for people with multiple sclerosis in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) North Staffordshire.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made.